Suffocate
by Valentine'sNinja
Summary: In his frienship and comfort, Yuffie found that there was more to Reeve than she had ever realized. Will she give him a chance, or will Vincent's return interfere? ReeveYuffie, post DoC, ONESHOT!.


Okay, so here is the Reeve/Yuffie as promised. I had a pretty hard time actually writing this, mostly because I don't know how I feel about them as a couple. I love Reeve because he seems like such a sweetheart in DoC, but I'm a die-hard Vince/Yuffie shipper and therefore am not really inspired to write either of them with other people. But I finally got around to writing this and I hope it's to everyone's liking!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of the characters used in this piece of fanfiction. I am making no money off of them. Also, I don't own the song _Suffocate_, which is sung by J. Holiday…

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* * *

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Suffocate

_Cause I can't breathe when you talk to me_

_I can't breathe when you're touching me_

_I suffocate when you're away from me_

_So much love you take from me_

_I'm going out of my mind_

* * *

Yuffie sighed to herself as she sat in Reeve's office, feet propped up on his desk and her head resting on her hand. She had been on various intelligence missions for the WRO the past two weeks, but still she couldn't get her mind off of the one thing that she wanted to. Vincent was still missing and there wasn't a minute that she wasn't worrying about him. She knew that he was still alive; her heart told her so, but there had been no news of him in so long. The Avalanche men were still searching for him, but so far nothing stood out that proved that Vincent was okay.

The ninja looked around Reeve's office the way she always did when he was out. His desk was a large mahogany piece of furniture with piles of paperwork that she knew Reeve would complete before the day was over. If there was anyone who needed a woman in their life, it was Reeve. Her eyes skimmed boredly over the stacks of work and reports and moved on to the framed images behind the tall, black leather chair.

There was one of Reeve with his mother before she had died, another of the Avalanche gang, a few of him with WRO commanders and soldiers, and one that caught her eye. It was a picture of them together, but she had her arms wrapped around his neck in a hug and they were both laughing. She remembered that day vividly. He had promoted her to his Chief of Intelligence and she had been incredibly happy that someone had believed so much in her to have given her such a serious position. A few of the female soldiers had been around when Reeve had promoted her and they had taken the shot. Yuffie had that same picture in her room, there at the WRO headquarters.

Aside from that, his office was pretty plain, with only a few random paintings here and there, and scarce pieces of furniture. A model of Cait Sith was sitting on a chair, apparently deactivated, but Yuffie had come to learn to never trust the robotic cat, since he could come on at any random moment and catch her doing something she shouldn't be doing.

The door to his office opened and she glanced over to see Reeve with a tired look on his face as he entered. He managed a smile for her and walked over to sit at his desk. "Hello, Yuffie."

"Hey Reeve," she said, a small smile on her face. She asked, because that was why she was there in his office, waiting for him while she could've been getting some much needed rest. "Any news on Vince?"

Reeve watched her quietly for a moment and then shook his head. "I've had my men searching the remains of Midgar since Omega's defeat, but nothing has come up yet. No sign that he's alive, but also no sign to indicate that he's… gone," he replied sadly. He noted the smile fall from Yuffie's face and felt his heart die a little with it. "Don't worry Yuffie, we'll find him," he murmured.

Yuffie just nodded and sat up, trying not to let her hopes sink back down. She needed to keep believing that Vincent was out there, otherwise she would… she would… just die inside. "Thanks Reeve. Let me know if anything else comes up," she said as she stood and made for the door.

Reeve watched her go but couldn't allow her to just walk out. There was a part of him that knew that he didn't stand a chance of competing against Vincent, but another part was telling him that Vincent would never return her sentiment and that he still had a chance to get Yuffie to see that he was more than willing to make her happy. But she just didn't see him, and she would continue to be oblivious while he just stood in the shadows and watched her pine after another man.

"Yuffie," he said, standing and approaching her as she stopped and turned to him. "Do you have somewhere to be right now?" he asked, swallowing nervously. He was highly aware of the fact that he was old enough to be her father, but she was unlike anyone he had ever met. At her short nineteen years she was a hero and an amazing woman who was part of the WRO, had helped save the world three times, and was helping rebuild her country as much as she could. How could he not feel anything for her?

Yuffie thought about it and shook her head. "Not really. Why? Did you need something?" she asked.

"Would you like to… join me for dinner tonight? I could use some company and a break from all the work that I have. You need some company too, I'm sure," he said with a small smile.

Yuffie thought about it for a moment and realized that he was right. But there was something about Reeve that had been creeping her out as of late. It was in the way that he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking, but she was Yuffie Kisaragi, The White Rose of Wutai, she was always aware of her surroundings. Reeve watched her the way she had seen Cloud watch Tifa sometimes when _he_ thought no one was looking. She had realized that Reeve was a very handsome man and there was a gap in their age differences that made her a little nervous, but above all, he was a close friend of hers and she didn't want to ruin their friendship with unrequited feelings.

"I… ah… yeah, sure. Where would we go?" she asked with her usual grin, trying not to let her apprehension show so blatantly.

"How about we just go to my apartment? I can cook just fine. I'm just not in the mood to be among a lot of other people at a restaurant," he said with an easy smile.

Yuffie cleared her throat and nodded. "Okay, that would be good. Just give me about an hour to do something that I forgot I had to do, and I'll meet you at your place, okay?" she asked.

Reeve nodded and let out a relieved sigh when she waved and walked out of his office. He just hoped that the entire night didn't backfire on him. He really wanted Yuffie to see that he was more than just her friend and her boss. Maybe he would be able to gather the courage to let her know tonight.

* * *

Tifa looked up from the magazine she was leafing through when Yuffie nearly stumbled into the bar, out of breath and pink in the face. "Are you okay?" she asked the younger woman in amusement.

Yuffie took a moment to regain her breath before she let out a hacking cough and made pantomimes in order for Tifa to give her a glass of water. Though she was in very good shape—being a ninja required it—she had been holding her breath as she ran, as stupid as it sounded. She couldn't believe that she had accepted to join Reeve in his apartment _alone._ That was why she was literally dying on the bar that Tifa always kept so clean.

"Any… news… on… Vince?" she asked first.

Tifa smiled sadly and shook her head. "Nothing from Cloud or the others yet," she said, eyes shifting to where Shelke was sitting, sipping tea the way she had taken to do every other day. She noticed the crestfallen look on Yuffie's face and felt her own heart hurt. "Don't worry Yuffie, I'm sure we'll have word on him soon."

Yuffie nodded and sat down on one of the stools. "Teef, can I ask you something?"

The bartender nodded. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"If you were a single woman and Cloud didn't exist, what would you think of Reeve?" the ninja asked nervously.

Tifa gave her a weird look but thought about it for a moment. "Well, he's a handsome man. He's sweet and funny, though a little too into computers and that stuff than should be normal. He cares about others more than himself and he's trying to make the world a better place. All in all, he's a great man and any woman would be lucky to have him as a partner," she said with a small shrug.

Yuffie bit her lip. "Would you go for him?"

"Maybe I would," said Tifa with a far off look. Then she turned to look at her friend suspiciously. "Why all the questions? Yuffie… are you and Reeve…?"

"No, no!" said Yuffie quickly. "But he did invite me to his place for dinner. Is that weird or am I overreacting?" she asked.

Tifa smiled brightly. "That's not weird at all. Yuffie, Reeve is a great man and if he shows interest in you, well that's great. You're a young, pretty woman and he's noticed that," she replied. "Besides," she continued after a moment. "If you're waiting for Vincent… Yuffie, that may be an empty wait. He's never shown interest in you and you may lose your one chance to be happy," she said gently.

Yuffie thought her words over for a moment and then finally nodded. "I'm not sure, Teef. I mean, Reeve is a great friend and if we try and things don't work out, I don't know what I'll do. I don't want to lose his friendship."

"All you can do is try, Yuffs. Take a chance to see where this is going. Don't be afraid to open your heart. Now, if only I could follow my own advice and start dating other men," Tifa said softly.

The ninja patted her arm and smiled. "Why don't you take a chance and let Spiky know that you love him too? It's so very obvious that he feels something for you too, all you both have to do is talk to each other about it," said Yuffie quietly.

"I will if you will," said Tifa, extending her hand.

"Deal," said Yuffie, shaking it. Though she wasn't too sure about what she had just made a deal about, she would try and see if things weren't too weird with Reeve. Maybe she was just imagining things and Reeve was just being friendly with her. "Alright, Teefs, I have to go now. I told Reeve that I would meet him at his place," she said.

Tifa grinned. "Good luck with that Yuffie."

Yuffie wrung her hands nervously and nodded. "Yeah, thanks," she replied, not sounding too convinced about what she was about to do. "If you get any news on Vincent, will you call me? It doesn't matter what time it is, okay?"

"Sure," said Tifa as she walked her friend out of the bar. "Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do," she said with a smile.

Yuffie just let out a snort and made her way to Reeve's place. He lived towards the outskirts of the city, where new apartment complexes were in the process of being built for those who had no homes and also for people who didn't want to live in the central district of Edge. The walk didn't take too long and before she knew it, she was standing at Reeve's door, wondering whether she should knock or just go back to the bar and tell him that Tifa had asked for her help.

But Reeve, being the technical genius that he was, knew when there was someone at his door even before they knocked or rang the bell. He opened the door and smiled smoothly when he saw that Yuffie was there, biting her lip and looking a little nervous.

Her beauty astounded him every time. From the tilt of her dark eyes, to the curve of her hips, every single aspect of her made him feel like a teenager again. Being so close to her been painful enough the past year, he just wanted to tell her what he felt and get it over with. "Come on in, the food is almost ready."

Yuffie smiled and stepped into his apartment, trying to fight down the blush that threatened her face when she felt Reeve brush past her. She had never been good at dating and meeting guys. It was one of the main reasons why she had been such a tomboy. It had been easier to _be_ one of them than be _with_ one of them. The scent of food hit her nose and she walked into the kitchen to join Reeve as he stirred a few things.

"This smells great," she complimented as she looked into a pan of frying shrimp and then moving on to sweet smelling fettuccini. "Do you have anything to drink?" she asked, wandering around the kitchen.

"I have cool water, some various types of juice, and wine, which I don't think you'll have tonight," he said as he began to place various foods onto two plates.

"Why not?" asked Yuffie, grabbing the bottle of wine from his refrigerator and then pouring them both a glass.

"You're still under age," said Reeve helplessly as she nearly downed the entire glass before refilling it. He snatched the bottle away and shook his head. "That's enough. At least until we start to eat," he said seriously.

Yuffie nodded and realized that she was making a fool of herself, but at least the wine was making her nerves relax little by little. He placed a little bit of everything onto two plates and then carried them to the table in his dining room. The whole place was decorated like his office with very few pieces of furniture, but enough to give the whole place a spacious yet stylish environment. Yuffie followed him with the glasses of wine and sat down next to him.

After taking the first bite, Yuffie couldn't believe that Reeve had actually cooked it. "Oh, Reeve… this tastes amazing. Don't tell Teef I told you, but I think you just bumped her from the best cook position," she said with a grin.

Reeve nodded and was relieved that she liked his cooking. He hadn't been sure if he had been cooking the right thing for her, but her reaction was more than good. They ate in comfortable silence, talking about random things until Yuffie realized that she'd had a little too much wine, even with the food.

As he cleared the dishes from the table and placed the pots and pans into the dish washer, Yuffie walked slowly towards the large couch placed in front of a decent sized flat screen TV. She turned it on and flipped through many channels in a matter of seconds.

"Can you actually see what you're flipping through?" asked Reeve as he took a seat next to her, not too close and not too far.

Yuffie nodded and grinned. "I'm a ninja Reeve, I have exceptional eyesight," she said as she came to a stop at a movie about heroes with super powers.

As the movie played, Reeve found his eyes straying to the woman next to him. She was relaxed and watching the TV, a small smile on her face. He had the insane urge to run his hands through her hair and lean over to kiss her, but he had no guarantee that she wouldn't kill him if he tried it, no matter how relaxed she was because of the wine. He started when he felt something fall against his shoulder heavily. Reeve looked down and smiled to himself when he saw that she was fast asleep and with her head resting on his shoulder. It wasn't much, but he was happy with being there as a pillow for her, and before he knew it, he was asleep too.

* * *

Yuffie blinked slowly into the dimly lit room and realized that it was early in the morning, the sun barely rising. For a moment her head pounded lightly and she remembered nearly drinking the entire bottle of wine. She looked around the room, only her eyes moving and finally realized that she wasn't alone on the couch. There was a warm, firm body pressed to her back and keeping her warm. The arm around her waist was big and attached to an arm that she was beginning to recognize. She knew she was at Reeve's place still and there was no one else who could be sleeping behind her, so closely.

Her cheeks burned with color when he let out a heavy sigh and pulled her in closer against him. She couldn't deny that she very much liked the feel of him against her, but… but she didn't know what to think. They hadn't talked much the evening before, but they had enjoyed each others company, even when they had been watching the movie. Okay, she was officially getting freaked out. Why? Because Reeve was talking in his sleep.

"…Yuffie," he whispered, his nose pressed to the back of her neck.

She had to get out of there as soon as possible. As stealthily as she could, she slipped from his grip and moved away, eyeing Reeve to see if he hadn't woken up. He let out a heavy sigh and then turned his back to her before settling back into a deep sleep. Yuffie found herself smiling and walked off to find him a blanket to keep him warm. As she tucked in the quilt around him, she took a moment to look at him as he slept. He really was a handsome man, but there had been no talk of them being involved, so she convinced herself that she had been imagining things. Besides, Reeve needed someone older and someone who understood all that tech language. She wasn't that person. Deep down she realized that she had a slight problem with that.

He didn't see her until a few days later thanks to a mission he had needed to send her on. She had returned, successfully completing it and was somewhere in the WRO building. She hadn't gone to see him yet and Reeve wondered if he had done something to upset her before she had left on the mission. He couldn't remember if he had, though he had been a little surprised to wake up the morning after their dinner to find her gone and he had been wrapped in a warm blanket.

The past few days had served as a break from having her so close and not being able to do a thing about it, but also it had given him more time to think about what he could do to get her to notice him. He wasn't getting any younger and he wanted a family. He had neglected having one in his younger years, but it wasn't too late. He had thought he'd had a chance when Shalua had been around, but she had been to stuck on finding her sister to even notice that he had been interested. Now she was gone and Reeve realized that if he didn't take matters into his own hand, he would never find anyone to share his life with.

He stood from his desk and walked out of his office, intent on finding Yuffie and asking her on an official date, and hoped that she wouldn't shoot him down too soon. After asking around and to various people, someone told him that they had seen her take the elevator to the roof. The only reason why the elevator reached the roof was because they kept a helicopter pad there, and he knew that Yuffie liked the view of the city from there. He took the elevator up and found her by the edge, hands on the safety railing as she took a look at the view.

"Yuffie?" asked Reeve, hoping he didn't startle her. The sun was setting and the view was amazing from there.

"Hey, I was just taking a moment. I was about to go see you in your office," she said, turning to smile at him. They stared at each other for a long moment until she felt uncomfortable and looked away.

"There was something that I wanted to ask you," said Reeve as he moved to stand next to her.

Yuffie looked at him sideways and nodded. "What is it?"

"I… Yuffie, I know that we have known each other for a few years now, and I wanted to tell you that… Yuffie, I like you," he said quickly.

"Well, I like you too," she said with a grin. "You're a great friend."

Reeve shook his head and realized that she didn't understand what he was really saying. He moved closer to her and forced her eyes to meet. They were standing closer than he had ever dared to get to her, but it was now or never. "Yuffie, I like you as more than just a friend."

"Oh," Yuffie said, the breath leaving her body abruptly. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Should she shoot him down and tell him that she was flattered but not interested? Well, that would be a half-lie. She _was_ flattered, but she was also interested.

"And I wanted to know if you would be willing to join me on a date?" he asked nervously.

Yuffie gave him a suspicious look. "Fine," she said. "But I get to pick where we'll go."

Reeve held in a relieved sigh and nodded. "I can deal with that," he said, smiling. "Where would we go?"

"Somewhere fun," she said as they walked towards the elevator. "Knowing you, you'd probably take me to a museum for our date," she said with a smirk. "I'll teach you the meaning of fun," she said brightly.

Reeve tried not to feel apprehensive because of the smile on her face and sighed. They would be going out on a date and maybe she would see that he wasn't as boring as she thought. He had been so nervous at the thought of her shooting him down that he didn't know how to react now. "I need to get your report as soon as possible," he said as they entered the elevator together.

Yuffie nodded. "I have it ready. But when the time to clock out comes, you will drop everything and leave with me, deal?" she asked.

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm the boss, Yuffie. I can't drop everything just like that. I have so many things to do and—"

"Our date is tonight, Reeve Tuesti. It's either now or never and you know that I have never been a very patient girl. I won't take _never_ as an answer now," she said with a grin.

Reeve chuckled and nodded. "Fine. You win. As soon as it's time to go, come find me and I will leave with you," he said as he got off on a floor before hers.

Yuffie smiled to herself and waved as the doors closed and their eyes met. Well, if Reeve passed tonight's date, then she would be willing to give him a chance. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of Vincent, but she just couldn't waste away as she waited for him to return, if he ever did return. Now, she had to plan tonight's date and get some advice from Tifa.

An hour later, Reeve was being dragged out of his office by a grinning ninja. She chatted about everything and anything that popped into her mind and Reeve just watched her with a bemused smile as she switched tracks faster than anyone he had ever known. He had thought that she had outgrown that phase, since during debriefings and oral reports she always spoke of one thing at a time and with a professionalism that sometimes shocked him.

"Where are we going?" asked Reeve as they walked a small distance away.

"You'll see in a minute," she said. "There was a reason why our date had to be today," she said as they turned onto a huge space of land that had been set up as a carnival. Reeve blinked for a moment and then shook his head in amusement. He had always been too geeky for arcade games and roller coasters, but he had a feeling that by the end of the night he would've been on 'The Twist of Death,' which consisted of three loops, five twists, and a one hundred foot drop. He could already feel his stomach falling to his feet.

"Come on, let's go get some tickets and then we can start getting on the rides," said Yuffie as she took his hand and pulled him along.

Once they had a total of ten tickets, for ten rides, Reeve was convinced that he would die on one of the rides Yuffie wanted to get on. "How about we just stick to bumper cars, or the Ferris Wheel?" he asked nervously, eyeing the ride with the one-hundred foot drop.

"Don't be such a baby, Reeve. I'll hold your hand if you'd like," she said as she nearly dragged him along.

He couldn't deny that feeling her touching him was giving him worst nerves than actually getting onto the ride, but he had a limited amount of time to enjoy the sensation because they were seated and strapped into the roller coaster. "Yuffieeee!" he yelled as the ride took off. She shrieked with laughter but clung to his hand as the ride twisted and turned them and blew cold air through their hair. By the time the ride was over, Reeve felt as if he were still spinning, but Yuffie's giggles may have had something else to do with it. There wasn't anything about her that he didn't enjoy and wish that he were the only one privy to it.

"Can we try something else now?" asked Reeve shakily as they passed food stands and games where prizes could be won. "Something a little less hazardous to our brains?"

Yuffie grinned and nodded. "Well, we can go on the Ferris Wheel, you big baby," she replied as they walked towards the huge wheel.

"We could also go to the petting zoo," he offered with a smile.

"We'll leave that for later," Yuffie said with a laugh. "I always knew you were a big softy, Reeve. You can't really hide it."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Oh, it's definitely a good thing. Girls like a man who shows some heart," she said as they stepped into their individual seats on the wheel. As the ride began to rise, Yuffie was very aware of the fact that Reeve was watching her again. She hadn't forgotten of the feel of his arms wrapped around her when they had woken up at his place, but she had a feeling that he hadn't even been aware of what he had been doing.

"Why did you get so quiet all of a sudden?" he asked, moving slightly so that he could face her and look at the view as well.

"I was just thinking of you," she said honestly.

They were seated side by side, even though it was mostly recommended to be across from each other in a ride like that, but Yuffie was happy that they were so close together. It made leaning forward all that much easier as he did the same. The kiss was a little abrupt, but she wasn't complaining when she felt the touch of his lips against hers. Their touch was gentle and sweet, and Yuffie had had rougher before, but she liked the way Reeve was kissing her. Everything about him had always been gentle, but she knew that he had a wild side, if not, Cait Sith wouldn't have been a little bit crazy.

When they drew away, she was blushing and Reeve was trying very hard not to smile so widely. "So you like me, huh?" she asked him with a grin.

"I do," Reeve replied without hesitation.

"Then you'll ride every single ride with me tonight?" Yuffie asked smugly.

Reeve let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "That's blackmail, but yes I will," he muttered. He was a total doormat for her, but there really wasn't anything he wouldn't do for an amazing person like Yuffie, that was for sure.

* * *

After a few more days and a few lunch and dinner dates, Yuffie was getting used to the idea that she liked having Reeve in her life as more than a friend. Vincent was still gone, and she had started to accept that maybe he really wasn't coming back, as hard as it was to think about. She did miss him, but there were various people still searching for him and she had a job to do as the leader of Intelligence in the WRO.

But she had gotten the day off and was currently dragging her boss through the rain. The skies were dark, but there was only a slight drizzle at the moment and she had a craving for some rocky road ice cream. "Where are we going?" Reeve asked her with a smile, his hand in hers.

"Forcing you to take a break at the park," Yuffie replied, pushing her damp bangs away from her eyes.

Reeve eyed his blue long coat and mournfully realized that it was a dry clean only and would probably shrink some when he took it off. "In the rain?" he asked Yuffie as they turned into the park and walked towards an ice cream vendor who was packing up his things in order to leave.

"Yeah," said Yuffie. "The best time to eat ice cream is when it's raining!" she said brightly.

Backwards reasoning, but when had Yuffie had any sane reasoning? Reeve asked himself. She let go of his hand and ran off to get the man's attention before he left. She received her ice cream and his and then paid the man before he left. She pranced over and handed him a double scoop serving of cookies and cream on a cone.

"Did you know that this was my favorite?" he asked as they walked over to the fountain in the center of the park and sat down there, in the middle of the rain.

"Of course," she lied. "Nothing gets past me, the single White Rose of Wutai!" she announced.

Reeve merely let out a laugh and shook his head. They ate their ice cream in silence and sat in the rain. They would have to leave soon, unless they wanted to end up with a really bad cold. He, for one, wasn't a fan of getting sick. His paperwork tended to multiply on its own if he was gone from his office for more than a day. He was busy worrying about his multiplying paperwork that he was slightly startled when a pair of dark eyes closed in on his until they were almost nose to nose.

"Wanna try my favorite flavor of ice cream?" she asked, smiling when his eyes darted to her lips. He tasted her lips then, at her so blatant offer. Yuffie plus chocolate equaled a sugar rush to Reeve, and he loved every second of it.

They were interrupted in their _ice cream flavor tasting_ by the ringing of Yuffie's phone. She pulled away from him and huffed in irritation. She was starting to like kissing Reeve more and more as time passed. She opened her phone when she realized it was Tifa and put it to her ear.

"What's going on?" she asked snippily.

"Yuffie… we found him," Tifa said from the other line.

"What?" Yuffie asked, not catching on because Reeve was tasting the ice cream from the cone in her hand.

"We found Vincent… Shelke went up to get him and Cid picked them up an hour ago. They should be here in about ten minutes," Tifa said excitedly.

The smile on Yuffie's face died down some. He was alive. He was alive and well and they had sent Shelke to get him? "Okay, Teef. I'll tell Reeve, he's right here with me," she said, voice a little hollow as Tifa bade her a 'see you soon,' and hung up.

"What's going on?" Reeve asked her as he stood.

"They found Vincent. He's alive and Cid is bringing him to Edge right now," Yuffie said, thankful that the rain was still falling and that Reeve wouldn't be able to tell that there were tears in her eyes.

He finally understood why she was reacting the way she was, but he had thought that she would be jumping for joy at the thought of Vincent coming back. "We should get going to see him, then," said Reeve, standing and walking with her towards Tifa's bar. They were a good distance away, but the walk was a quiet one and Reeve knew that there was something else bothering Yuffie about Vincent's return.

By the time they arrived at Seventh Heaven, he was already there, and Tifa had brought out the drinks so that everyone could celebrate. Yuffie and Reeve entered and the cheering began once more and it was centered on the dark gunman who was clearly uncomfortable. Yuffie gave him a smile and told him how happy she was that he was back and safe. The rest of Avalanche waited for her to threaten bodily harm if he ever disappeared again, but Yuffie just walked towards the bar to get a drink from Tifa, who gave her a sad smile.

"I think they were expecting more from you, including Vincent," she whispered.

Yuffie looked towards him and found his eyes watching her. She looked away and in the process caught Reeve's eyes as he managed a small smile for her. Then he turned back to his conversation with Cid and didn't glance at her again. "There isn't anything more I can say to him," said Yuffie as she took a sip of the coke and rum her friend had given her. One drink and no more, was Tifa's policy with Yuffie and her underage drinking.

"But you missed him, right?" Tifa asked her.

"Yeah, but Reeve made it all better. I can feel him drawing away from me, even now," said Yuffie sadly.

"Then I suggest you do something to change that? Men are ridiculously insecure when they aren't reassured in something that they don't understand," Tifa said as she took a sip of her own drink. "Maybe Reeve is thinking that now that Vincent is back, you won't want to see him anymore."

"But I do want to see him more, it's just that Vincent is here, and I remember those first few weeks of hell I went through as I waited for him. I'm so confused, I don't know what I feel for either of them," said the ninja with a heavy sigh.

Tifa smiled. "Let your heart decide what road to take."

"Yeah, well, my heart is the one that can't decide right now," muttered Yuffie before Tifa walked away with some drinks in her hands. She sat there for a while, alone and lost in her thoughts of Reeve and Vincent. The gunman had never shown any indication of being interested in her. Besides, now he had a copy of the woman that he had loved so much and hadn't let go of in more than thirty years.

The air shifted next to her and Yuffie looked up in time to see Vincent take a seat next to her. "Hello, Yuffie," he said quietly, despite the noisy party that was going on in the background.

"Hey, Vince. You feeling okay, now that Chaos is gone?" she asked lightly.

Vincent nodded and managed a very tiny smile. "I have some peace after years of torment. I can finally hear myself think without the demon inputting his opinion and complaining about everything."

Yuffie laughed and nodded. "That's great. Where were you all of these weeks?"

"Roaming the mountains. Saying goodbye to Lucrecia and thanking her for saving my life," he replied.

Yuffie felt her blood run cold at the mention of the scientist. She really didn't want to hear anything about Lucrecia, even though she had saved Vincent in the end. He had kept all of his friends searching frantically and worrying over him while he took the time to mourn over a woman who hadn't loved him.

"Losing Chaos and nearly dying more than once made me see that I have neglected someone close to me here," he said, pointing to his heart.

Yuffie felt her heart skip a beat despite her confusion. "I thought you said once that your heart was dead," she said quietly.

Vincent nodded once. "But I was wrong. I realized that you were there. You were the one who kept me alive when I should've died with Omega."

The ninja smiled and would've replied, but a hand fell on Vincent's shoulder and they both turned to look at Reeve as he smiled. "It's great to see you again, Vincent, but I must get going. I have tons of paperwork to do and I already missed work all afternoon," he said, eyes straying to Yuffie, who looked away.

Vincent could tell that there was some type of tension between them, but kept his opinion to himself. It wasn't his business. Trying to show Yuffie that he had moved on was his top priority now. "Take care of yourself Reeve," said Vincent before the other man turned to go.

"Goodbye, Vincent, Yuffie," Reeve said.

To Yuffie's ears, it sounded like a permanent goodbye, and she couldn't have that. She just couldn't. He had already said his goodbye to their friends and was out the door before she could think of something to say or do. She looked at Vincent, who was watching her reaction quietly. "I, uh… won't be long, Vince," Yuffie said before she raced out the door after Reeve.

She caught up to him just as he was turning the corner towards his apartment, not to his office like he had told Vincent. "Reeve, wait!" she called to him, realizing that the rain was coming down harder than it had been on their way over to the bar.

He stopped and turned to look at her with a sad smile. "Go back to Vincent, Yuffie. It's obvious that he wants to show you that he has changed and wants to move on with his life."

Yuffie bit her lip and tried to think of something to say. "I can't deny that I always wished for him to notice me that way, but you… Reeve, you were there for me when he wasn't," she said quietly.

"Don't worry about me, Yuffie. I'll be the bigger person here and I'll walk away. Don't feel bad. I've always known that you loved him and would sooner or later end up with him. There's no one immune to you," he said with a sad smile.

Yuffie shook her head. "You can't leave like this," she pleaded.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow, Yuffie. I wish you the best of luck with Vincent," Reeve said, pressing a kiss to her temple before walking away.

The ninja watched him go and felt something in her chest squeeze impossibly tight at the thought that he wouldn't ask her out or kiss her ever again. Could it be that she had fallen for him in such a short amount of time? She was so confused, she didn't know what to think. Vincent was at the bar, waiting for her, willing to prove that he had room in his life for her, but she wasn't so sure anymore.

Reeve had made her see that her world didn't revolve around Vincent. He had made her smile, had suffered through four roller coasters to make her happy, and had made her feel warm and fuzzy whenever he laughed at something she said or did. If that wasn't love, then what was? Maybe the way her heart skipped around in her chest whenever he smiled her way, or how she felt she couldn't breathe whenever he kissed her.

She walked slowly back towards the bar and didn't bother to stop the tears that trailed down her cheeks. If Reeve didn't want to make the effort to stay with her and compete with Vincent, then she would leave him alone, no matter how her chest ached at the thought. She would give Vincent a chance to see if they worked. She hoped that they did with all her heart.

* * *

"What's wrong, Yuffie?"

The ninja looked up from the yellow lily that had come from Aerith's garden and turned to look at the man she had wanted to be with since she had been a sixteen year old brat. He had given her a small bouquet of the sweet smelling flowers, but Yuffie had missed the orchids Reeve had given to her twice. She hadn't seen him in more than a week, since the day after their sort-of-break-up when Vincent had returned. He had briefed her on a mission, but after that he had had another commander take care of giving her the mission details.

She couldn't deny that it still hurt that he was avoiding her, but there wasn't much that she could do at work. He was the boss and when he ordered, the employees obeyed. Yuffie looked at Vincent and managed a small smile. He was so handsome, and he was there with her now, but she just couldn't stop thinking about Reeve. "I don't know what's wrong," she admitted. "You're here with me, but I…"

"You're not happy," he finished for her.

She stood from her seat on Tifa's porch and walked over to stand in front of Vincent. "I've wanted this for so long. I waited so long to feel your arms around me, but now that I have that… I can't stop thinking about Reeve," she admitted sadly.

"You fell in love with him, didn't you?" Vincent asked softly. Though it hurt his heart to know that her own no longer belonged to him, he wanted her to be happy. She had told him very little about the time Reeve had spent cheering her up during his disappearance, but he had had no idea of how deeply Yuffie had taken the comfort of another man.

"He was the bigger person and he let me go. He was convinced that you were my happiness, so he walked away, and now I can't stop thinking about him," she said sadly. "I'm sorry I'm telling you this. I know I must be hurting you." After his return, they had talked about giving each other a try, and he had visited her to talk almost every single say the past week. Though she appreciated the effort, and though a few weeks before she would've jumped for joy, now it just made her heart ache because she couldn't return the gesture wholeheartedly.

Vincent shook his head and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips. "It hurts me more to know that it's my fault that you're not happy," he murmured softly. "I didn't stop Lucrecia from making the biggest mistake of her life, but I can stop you. Go to him, Yuffie."

"But Vincent…"

He shook his head once and placed a finger over her lips. "I will be here for you always. But I value your happiness above mine," he said with a small smirk.

Yuffie jumped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us sooner. I would've given you my whole heart."

"It's my fault I did not see it before, and I will live with it. I won't hide away anymore, Yuffie, you showed me that there is more to life than solitude and penance. I will live for you," he said.

She nodded and hugged him tightly before letting go. "Thank you, Vince. Just know that a part of me will always love you," she said, stepping back.

"And I think that a part of me will always love you too. Be happy for the both of us," he said before turning to go.

"I'll try," Yuffie whispered to herself as she watched him walk in the rain. She pulled out her phone and dialed Reeve's number but she was sent straight to voicemail. She frowned to herself and stood to walk the opposite way Vincent had gone. She would check Reeve's apartment first, since the rain was coming down hard still—as if matching her mood the past week—but she knew that rain rarely stopped Reeve when he had work to do.

As the raindrops soaked through her hair and clothes, she spotted a rainbow ahead of her. She smiled slightly and took in her surroundings as she walked through the park. She remembered the day she hadbought Reevea double scoop ice cream cone and they had sat at the fountain in the center of the park, eating ice-cream and feeling raindrops fall on them. That had been the day when Vincent had come back and when Reeve had ended something between them. She just hoped that he hadn't really changed his mind for good and that she was too late.

The ice-cream man wasn't there, but as she passed the fountain, she realized who was there and nearly screamed in happiness. She walked over to Reeve and saw that he was nursing a melting rocky road ice-cream cone. He was staring down at it, his eyebrows scrunched together in a frown as he looked at the melting chocolate.

"That's a waste, you know," she said from a distance.

Reeve jerked up and looked at her, eyes wide. "Yuffie," he said, standing and walking towards her. His eyes took her face in greedily, sweeping over the curve of her cheek, her sweet jaw, and her amazing eyes. He had really missed her and it had only been one week he hadn't seen her. "What are you doing here?" he asked before he threw the melting cone into a waste basket.

"You're eating ice cream in the rain without me?" she asked with a sad smile. "Avoiding me at work, not talking to me and sending someone else to do it. I've missed you, Reeve."

"I missed you too," he blurted. "But you're with Vincent now, and whatever I feel doesn't matter."

"What do you feel?" she asked him, a hint of desperation in her voice. "Please tell me Reeve. I need… I need something…" she trailed off, her eyes searching his.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind as I push you away," he admitted. "But I need to keep you at a distance because you're with someone else and I would never interfere between you and Vincent. Not when I know that you've been waiting so long for a chance to be with him."

Yuffie shook her head. "But now I've been waiting for the chance to be with you," she said quickly. "Vincent and I… we aren't together anymore." She smiled. "He was the bigger person and he told me to come find you."

"But is that what you really want?" Reeve asked worriedly. He didn't want her to change her mind once it was too late. Once she took all the love he had to offer and then decided to give it back because she really did want to be with Vincent.

She didn't answer with words. Instead she kissed him with all the passion and heat she could muster. No matter that he was older than her and that some might think that he was robbing the cradle. He loved her and wanted the world to know. Apparently, so did she. She jumped into his arms and kept kissing him, arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his waist. He wasn't so sure that that was the best position for them to kiss in, but he was too reluctant to push her away.

"I want to be with you, Reeve. You're an amazing man, even with all your creepy robot inventions, and your weird chamomile tea, and those white chocolate bars that you hide on the underside of your desk," she said mischievously. "What? Did you really think no one knew about those?" Yuffie asked with a grin.

Reeve set her down and smiled. "Come on, my Single White Rose of Wutai, let's get out of this rain. There's some hot chocolate with your name on it in my kitchen," he said he took her hand in his and pulled her along.

Yuffie stopped him and made their eyes meet. "Do you love me?" she asked softly.

"To the point of not being able to breathe whenever you're far away," Reeve told her with a smile.

She grinned and hugged him tightly, her lips searching his again. She had felt the same way. And now that she knew that the feeling was mutual, she would give her relationship with Reeve all that she had to give. They stood there and kissed in the rain, ignoring the sound of thunder and the rainbow that was shining only a few feet away once again.

Reeve had felt as if he were suffocating without her all those days he had tried to push her away. Without her smile, her touch, her voice. Now she was there in his arms and he realized that he would never be able to let go. She would always be a part of him and he was thankful that Vincent had been man enough to let her go. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Yuffie, and if she gave him the chance, he would put all of his being into making her happy.

_The End_

* * *

Okaaayyy… how was that? First off, no sequel! Many apologies, but it took me forever to write this fic. I debated for a while whether to have a happy ending, but since I'm never going to write Reeve and Yuffie as a pairing again, I gave you all a good ending. I mean no disrespect to those of you who are major Reeve/Yuffie shippers, but my penname gives away my favorite pairing, so I'll stick with Vincent/Yuffie.

I may have rushed through this fic, but all in all, I was happy with the way it went. I love Reeve and I love Yuffie, but as a pairing, they're hell to write. Anyway, I hope everyone is happy with this fic and if you have an opinion, please let me know, since I'm feeling kinda insecure with this fic. Vote for your next pairing in the poll on my bio page before I make the decision of which is next! I hope everyone has a great week and if there are typos and errors, please ignore them!

Bye

Joey


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